Guidance on medical abortion. The treatment. A medical abortion means taking a set of pills which causes the passing of the pregnancy. Follow this guide after appointment with your doctor.

On day 1

You must swallow 1 tablet Mifegyne (anti hormone), which inhibits the hormone progesterone. Thereby the development of the pregnancy will stop - the pregnancy perishes.

Please note the day you take Mifegyne.

Weekday ____________ Date __________  ______ o’clock.

After swallowing Mifegyne, it is too late to regret the abortion, as it is in progress. It is necessary to implement the rest of the treatment, because Mifegyne can cause birth defects.

Side effects

Only few women are affected by the treatment, but there can be bleeding, pain or nausea. Most women start bleeding within the first two days after taking the pills. The bleeding may be similar to a strong period and you may experience period-like pain. If the pain is severe, we recommend you to take these painkillers:

• 2 tablets paracetamol 500 mg (max. 4 times/day)
• 2 tablets Ipren 200 mg (max. 4 times/day)

(The medication is available over the counter).

On day 3

Weekday ____________ Date __________  ______ o’clock.

The third day is the day of the abortion. 

You might experience severe pain and heavy bleeding. Therefore there must be an adult to help you during the whole day.

What to do

Start by emptying your bladder. Then swallow:

•     1 tablet Ibuprofen 600 mg (painkiller)
•     2 tabl. Pinex 500 mg (painkiller)
•     1 tabl. Ondansetron 4 mg (emetics).

(These tablets have been giving to you at the gynaecological out-patient clinic).

Hereafter lay on the bed and put as high up as possible in the vagina two tablets Cytotec 0,2 mg. Lie in bed ½-1 hour to ensure that the tablets don’t fall out. After this you should be active. You do not have to be fasting.

At noon on the same day

If your bleeding hasn’t started, you must put up one more tablet Cytotec 0,2 mg the same way as before. Most women are having the abortion during the next 4-5 hours and nearly all women are having the abortion within the first 24 hours. You will bleed more than your normal period and expect tissue lumps. We recommend you to take painkillers if needed.

On day 8, blood test

Weekday ____________ Date __________  ______ o’clock.

On day 8 you must meet at ward 5001, on the ground floor, between entrance 4 and 5 to do a blood test. This is possible between 7.30 am and 2.30 pm. It is very important to get the blood test done, because it is used to figure out if your pregnancy has perished. If it hasn’t perished, we will contact you within 3 days.

Remember contraception

Pregnancy is possible 2 weeks after the abortion. Therefore you must use some kind of contraception. If you are starting birth control pills, you must start the day you use Cytotec (day 3). You can get a contraceptive coil after your next period.